Have no doubt about it;

the game of chess is a little war.

With two armies beginning in formation, battlefield between, it's kill-or-be-killed.

Like the general of an army, you might want to consider the concepts of strategy and

tactics.

Tactics deal with the organization and control of pieces engaged in combat.

It's the move-by-move, play-by-play. Also known as precise thinking,

tactics primarily uses the "I take her, then she takes me" form of thinking,

which should be an on-going process.

Strategy, on the other hand, deals with achieving victory through long-range planning.

It's the big picture.

The specific maneuvers of a battle are important,

but every once in a while remind yourself to step back and take it all in,

thinking not only of individual soldiers but also of a unified army,

where it's going, and what it wants to achieve.

A blending of both tactics and strategy will help you to emerge victorious.